Glencoe running back/linebacker Michael Schrader (44) was one of several seniors who helped the Crimson Tide program return to the playoffs after a one-year absence.Andrew Smith/Special to The Argus

HILLSBORO -- Earlier this week, Glencoe coach Steve Jones received a text message that meant more than any win.

It
was a simple query from one of his returning football players, asking
if the school's weight room would be open during the Thanksgiving
holiday weekend.

As he responded, Jones couldn't help but smile.

"It
shows me that they're committed and they want to get back to work,"
Jones said. "We may not ever be the tallest or biggest team, but we can
have very strong kids that get after it. As I like to say, gentlemen off
the field, nasty on the field."

It's been two weeks
since Glencoe showcased its nastiness in an epic back-and-forth OSAA
Class 6A first-round playoff game at Aloha High School.

Glencoe lost 38-35 to No. 9
Aloha, with Warriors senior running back Thomas Tyner earning the
headlines with 441 yards rushing. But the Crimson Tide earned the
University of Oregon-bound star's respect with several punishing hits.

That included the
controversial game-winning touchdown, when Tyner hauled in a 24-yard
touchdown pass with 2:13 to play. Glencoe senior defensive back Trebriel
Larry forced Tyner to fumble on the play, but officials ruled that the
ball had crossed the end zone just before it came loose.

Glencoe, which led 35-31
before the score, recovered the fumble in the end zone and would have
probably run out the clock for the upset playoff win. Instead, the
touchdown went in Aloha's favor and the Crimson Tide's feel-good
turnaround season came to an end.

"We would have reviewed
that if we could have," Jones said. "After watching copious amounts of
film and seeing the play from all angles, it looks like the ball comes
out about a yard-and-a-half before the end zone.

"It's a woulda-coulda-shoulda deal. But that stuff's out of your control, so you can't dwell on it."

Easier
said than done, as Jones discovered in the days following the
hard-fought defeat. It was Jones' 14th year in the Glencoe football
program, but just his second as the head varsity coach. After going 2-8
in his transitional first year last fall, Jones' impact was seen
immediately this season.

The Crimson Tide got off
to a 5-1 start and ended 6-5, with each of their five losses coming
against playoff teams. That final defeat to Aloha put Jones in a funk."It was a pretty devastating loss," Jones said. "For the week after that, I felt like I lost a family member. I was grieving."

Finally,
Jones' wife, Laurie, realized her husband needed some closure. She
encouraged Jones to get in touch with the team's tight-knit senior
class. The Jones' had many of them over for dinner at their home last
Friday.

In a therapeutic evening, the players and coach realized how special of a ride they had been on together.

"It
really did help," Jones said. "You wear a lot of hats as a coach and
really invest in these kids. It's like having 16 of your sons leave at
once. They're gone and it'll never be the same."

Jones is now doing his
best to get many of the seniors into the right spots in college to
continue their football careers. That group is led by Michael Schrader
(linebacker), Larry, Ryan Spaulding (running back), Blaine Morgan
(running back), Jake Weddle (linebacker) and Keaton Graser (defensive
line/tight end).

"If they want to play, I
want to help them get in the proper place to do so," Jones said. "One
of the things we always say is, 'No regrets.'"

In
their postseason meetings, the seniors told Jones that their only
regret from this past season is they felt they didn't truly treat every
moment on the football field like it could be their last. It wasn't
until the play-in game against Barlow (a 28-17 victory) and the playoff
game at Aloha when it truly hit the seniors that they were playing in
the final moments of their high school careers.

"It's not like they did
that on purpose during the season, but you really have to believe that
every game could be your last," Jones said. "In our debriefing with the
juniors, we talked about what the seniors told me. Don't take plays off.
Don't waste one play. Compete every second you're on the field."

That work ethic starts
in the offseason and Jones can't wait to see who emerges as senior
leaders for next year's team. The Crimson Tide return three of their
starting five offensive linemen and junior quarterback Avery Elrod, who
gained confidence and poise as the fall went on.

After
tasting the playoffs as a head coach, Jones is itching to get the
Crimson Tide back there next year. Following the dinner with the seniors
last Friday, many of them joined Jones in a return trip to Aloha High
School to watch Aloha's 59-46 playoff loss to No. 8 West Salem.

While sitting in the
Aloha cheering section, Jones received several compliments about how
hard his team played the week before. The praise reinforced the
hard-nosed mentality that Jones wants to instill in his program.

"Very proud of the heart
and scrappiness that we played with," Jones said. "As the season went
on, we got tougher. That's a hallmark of our program now. When you play
Glencoe, you better buckle up."

As Jones speaks of this
message, his disappointment about the Aloha defeat fades, replaced by a
giddy excitement about the future.

"Time heals," Jones said. "It was a bittersweet game and as time goes on, it becomes more sweet."